H2O 2018. If you missed it – see the videos.

On Saturday October 20th, many of us came together to hear great expert speakers present really compelling information on topics that are important to the water quality and ecosystems of Georgian Bay.The material was top notch. Survey respondents gave the overall quality of the presentations a 92% mark. The main topics and links to their specific videos are:

Please find the full length videos below and bookmark this page to come back and see the ones coming soon.To get a feel for the 1/2 day of discussion about the water, watch the 7 minute video that works to provide a small taste of all the presentations.

Dr. Shannon Carto from the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

Climate Change. Understand its impacts globally, in Ontario, and the Great Lakes. Discover your rights and what municipalities can do in Ontario.A really compelling 36 minute video presented by Dr. Shannon Carto from the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO). The Ontario government is basically eliminating the ECO with Bill 57.Shooting the messenger won't make climate change go away.*
The ECO has been a really important watchdog for the Ontario environment over the last 25 years and the office's virtual elimination does not bode well for independent and fact-based environmental performance. Please visit the ECO website and read their most recent reports on Ontario's GHG emissions and 2018 Report Card on Ontario's Environment.﻿*Reference:Http://theconversation.com/scrapping-environmental-watchdog-is-like-shooting-the-messenger-107345

Dr. Chelsea Rochman from the Rochman Lab, the University of Toronto

Microplastic pollution - here, there, and everywhere!Dr. Rochman focuses on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes, including in Lake Huron. She discusses the sources, types, fate and effects of microplastics to waterbodies and on wildlife, some pressing research questions we should be asking locally, and information relevant to prevention and cleanup.Spoiler alert! They are in our tap water, in some of your dinner fare, and they are in our freshwater bodies. Research is accelerating in order to determine the impacts to ecosystems as scientists keep finding them in more and more species. One source of microplastics are tiny synthetic fibres that come off in your washing machines called microfibres, and we're looking for solutions. GBF is working with the Rochman lab on a field study in Parry Sound to determine how much microfibre pollution can be mitigated by applying filters to washing machines in volunteer households. Watch the video and/or visit this page to learn more.

These cage aquaculture presentation videos and panel video are not quite ready yet.

Please check back with us. Coming soon.......

Commissioner Gordon Walker, the International Joint Commission

Gordon delivers fun facts about the Great Lakes and speaks about the IJC Triennial Report to the Parties (Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement) and the Lake Erie algae bloom this year. Gord also oversaw the IJC workshop on Microplastics back in 2016.

Many many thank yous to the presenters, the audience, Bert Liverance for taping and editing the full videos, our sponsor Bruce Power and partner GBA, Helen Bryce, and all the volunteers for contributing to such a great day!H2O 2018 was co-hosted by Georgian Bay Forever and the Georgian Bay Association, and sponsored by Bruce Power. For more information about the partners, please click here.